[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33941-33942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15310]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; 
Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegations of Authority

    Part A, Office of the Secretary, Statement of Organization, 
Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) is being amended at Chapter AN, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), as last 
amended at 79 FR 70.535 (Nov. 26, 2014), 78 FR 25277 (April 30, 2013), 
78 FR 7784 (Feb. 4, 2013), 75 FR 35.035 (June 21, 2010) to realign the 
functions of ASPR to reflect the changes mandated by the 21st Century 
Cures Act and to address ever-increasing manmade and naturally 
occurring threats which degrade public health, access to healthcare, 
access to emergency medical services and

[[Page 33942]]

national security. The changes are as follows.
    I. Under AN.10 Organization, delete all of the components and 
replace with the following:

A. Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 
Response (ANA)
B. Office of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority 
(ANB)
C. Office of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (ANC)
D. Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary Incident Command and 
Control (ANG)

    II. Delete AN.20 Functions, in its entirety and replace with the 
following:
    Section AR.20 Functions.
    A. Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 
Response: The Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Preparedness and Response (IO/ASPR) is headed by the Assistant 
Secretary, who provides leadership and executive and strategic 
direction for the ASPR organization. The Assistant Secretary is the 
principal advisor to the Secretary on all matters related to Federal 
public health and medical preparedness and response for public health 
emergencies. The Assistant Secretary is responsible for carrying out 
ASPR's mission and implementing the functions of ASPR. The IO/ASPR (1) 
ensures development and maintenance of liaison relationships with HHS 
operating and staff divisions and represents HHS at interagency 
meetings, as required; (2) establishes and maintains effective 
communications and outreach guidance and support for all external 
communications, including legislative and executive branch questions 
and inquiries, and serves as the principal advisor to the ASPR on all 
legislative strategies to fulfill the Office of the ASPR and the HHS 
mission under section 2811 and other relevant sections of the Public 
Health Service Act, as amended; (3) oversees advanced research, 
development and procurement of qualified countermeasures, security 
countermeasures and qualified pandemic or epidemic products; (4) 
coordinate with relevant federal officials to ensure integration of 
federal preparedness and response activities for public health 
emergencies; (5) manages correspondence control for the Assistant 
Secretary; and (6) coordinates the strategic and operational activities 
for public health preparedness response and recovery.
    B. Office of Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority 
(ANB). The Office of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development 
Authority (BARDA), established in April 2007 in response to the 
Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006, serves preparedness 
and response roles to provide medical countermeasures (MCM) in order to 
mitigate the medical consequences of chemical, biological, 
radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats and agents and emerging 
infectious diseases, including pandemic influenza. BARDA executes this 
mission by facilitating research, development, innovation, and 
acquisition of MCM and expanding domestic manufacturing infrastructure 
and surge capacity of these MCM.
    BARDA is headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary, and includes the 
following components:

 Division of Influenza (ANB1)
 Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ANB2)
 Division of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear 
Threats (ANB3)
 Division of Strategic Science and Technology (ANB4)
 Division of Regulatory and Quality Affairs (ANB5)
 Division of Research, Innovation and Ventures (ANB6)

    C. Office of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (ANC). The 
Office of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (OPDAS) is 
responsible for providing a well-integrated infrastructure that 
supports the Department's capabilities to prevent, prepare for, respond 
to and recover from natural public health and medical threats and 
emergencies. OPDAS leads the preparedness and response activities 
required to coordinate public health and healthcare response systems 
and activities with relevant federal, state, tribal, territorial, 
local, and international communities under the National Response 
Framework and Emergency Support Annexes #8, #6 and #14. OPDAS is 
responsible for the execution of business management operations and 
managing coordination. OPDAS provides for the facility, logistics, 
information technology and infrastructure support services necessary to 
maintain day-to-day operations of ASPR, including functions of Human 
Resources, Organization and Employee Development, Ethics, United States 
Public Health Service (USPHS) liaison, acquisitions management, 
contracts, grants, and all financial planning and analysis.
    The Office of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary is headed by 
the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, and includes the following 
components:

 Division of Management Finance and Human Capital (ANC1)
 Division of Emergency Management and Medical Operations (ANC2)
 Division of Resource Management (ANC3)

    D. Deputy Assistant Secretary Incident Command and Control (ANG): 
The Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS/ICC) is responsible for the policy 
development, planning analysis, requirements and strategic planning. 
DAS/ICC manages and operates the HHS Secretary's Operation Center 
(SOC), intelligence, security, information management and is also 
responsible for the HHS Continuity of Operations (COOP) and the 
development of the ASPR COOP Plan. The Office of the Assistant 
Secretary Incident Command and Control (DAS/ICC) is headed by the 
Deputy Assistant Secretary Incident Command and Control, and includes 
the following components:

 Division of Security Intelligence and Information Management
 Division of Strategy, Policy, Planning and Requirements

    III. Delegations of Authority. All delegations and redelegations of 
authority made to officials and employees of affected organizational 
components will continue in them or their successors pending further 
redelegation, provided they are consistent with this reorganization.

Alex M. Azar II,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-15310 Filed 7-17-18; 8:45 am]
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